Tariff fees not likely for bus purchases
RUSSELLVILLE – Franklin County School Superintendent Greg Hamilton has not been contacted about any possible tariff charge for two buses the county has on order.
Russellville City Schools’ Marketing Coordinator Jonathan Willis indicated the school district is considering the purchase of a special education bus, but has not placed an order yet.
Their comments followed a report last week by State Superintendent Eric Mackey that Autauga County officials were recently notified of a $2,500 tariff charge added to six of 11 buses the school district purchased in the fall of 2024.
“We found out that most of the bus vendors are planning on charging a surcharge,” Mackey said. “We don’t have an exact number — $1,500 to $2,500 — but we don’t have that in writing yet.”
The Autauga County buses were manufactured by Blue Bird and purchased through Central States Bus Sales.
Hamilton said Franklin County’s two ordered buses are Thomas buses.
Three other area school districts purchased buses last fall that have yet to be delivered — Sheffield City Schools, Muscle Shoals City Schools and Colbert County Schools.
Superintendents of those districts said they have received no correspondence indicating there will be a tariff- based surcharge for those orders.
Sheffield City Schools Superintendent Carlos Nelson said his district ordered one bus last fall from Southland Transportation Group. The bus is an International Bus.
“I haven’t received any correspondence of an additional cost,” Nelson said. “It would impact us because it’s money we didn’t budget for the bus. We’d have to take [the money] from another program.”
Muscle Shoals City Superintendent Chad Holden said his district placed an order for one bus, and Colbert County Superintendent Nathan Fuller said his district recently purchased 30 new buses that should begin arriving this summer.
The vendor for Muscle Shoals and Colbert County is Transportation South.
Holden said his representative has told him Transportation South “will not be imposing any tariff costs on buses already ordered.”
Lauderdale County Schools’ Public Relations Director Whitney Coates said his district is considering the purchase of a special education bus, but has not placed an order yet.
Tuscumbia City Schools’ Superintendent Russ Tate said his district does not have any bus purchases planned.
Florence City Schools contracts its entire bus service to a third-party vendor — ECCO Ride. ECCO Ride provides the buses and the drivers.
Superintendent Jimmy Shaw said there would be no impact from tariffs unless those charges are still in place when ECCO Ride needs to purchase new buses and opts to pass along those fees through its contract with the school district.
